Jean-Philippe Rameau (25 September 1683 - 12 September 1764) was one of the… Read Full Bio ↴Jean-Philippe Rameau (25 September 1683 - 12 September 1764) was one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the Baroque era. He replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera, and was attacked by those who preferred Lully's style.
Rameau’s music is characterised by the exceptional technical knowledge of a composer who wanted above all to be renowned as a theorist of the art. Nevertheless it is not solely addressed to the intelligence and Rameau himself claimed “I try to conceal art with art”. The paradox of this music was that it was new, using techniques never known before, but it took place within the framework of old-fashioned forms; Rameau appeared revolutionary to the Lullystes, disturbed by the complex harmony of his music, and reactionary to the “philosophes” who only paid attention to its content and who either would not or could not listen to the sound it made. The incomprehension he received from his contemporaries stopped Rameau repeating such daring experiments as the second Trio des Parques in Hippolyte et Aricie, which he was forced to remove after a handful of performances because the singers were unable to interpret it correctly. So the greatest harmonist of his era went unrecognised at the very time that harmony - the “vertical” aspect of music - was taking precedence over counterpoint, which represented its “horizontal” aspect.
Rameau’s music is characterised by the exceptional technical knowledge of a composer who wanted above all to be renowned as a theorist of the art. Nevertheless it is not solely addressed to the intelligence and Rameau himself claimed “I try to conceal art with art”. The paradox of this music was that it was new, using techniques never known before, but it took place within the framework of old-fashioned forms; Rameau appeared revolutionary to the Lullystes, disturbed by the complex harmony of his music, and reactionary to the “philosophes” who only paid attention to its content and who either would not or could not listen to the sound it made. The incomprehension he received from his contemporaries stopped Rameau repeating such daring experiments as the second Trio des Parques in Hippolyte et Aricie, which he was forced to remove after a handful of performances because the singers were unable to interpret it correctly. So the greatest harmonist of his era went unrecognised at the very time that harmony - the “vertical” aspect of music - was taking precedence over counterpoint, which represented its “horizontal” aspect.
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01Les Fêtes d'Hébé, La Danse, Scène VII: Musette et Tambourin en rondeau pour Terpsichore3:46Teodor Currentzis
03Les Boréades, Acte IV, Scène IV: Entrée pour les Muses, les Zéphyres, les Saisons, les Heures et les Arts7:01Teodor Currentzis
05Les Indes galantes, Troisième entrée, Les fleurs, Scène VIII: Ballet des fleurs - Orage0:44Teodor Currentzis
08Les Indes galantes, Nouvelle entrée, Les sauvages, Scène VI: Rondeau - Duo et choeur "Forêts paisibles"3:40Teodor Currentzis
10Platée, Acte II, Scène IV: Récitativ "Essayons du brillant" - Ariette "Aux langueurs d'Apollon"5:13Teodor Currentzis
13Hippolyte et Aricie, Acte I, Scène I: Prélude - Air accompagné "Temple sacré, séjour tranquille"2:45Teodor Currentzis
15Les Boréades, Acte I, Scène IV: Première contredanse en rondeau pour les Peuples boréades travestis en Plaisirs et Grâces - Deuxième contredanse en rondeau pour les Peuples boréades travestis en Plaisirs et Grâces2:31Teodor Currentzis
16Les Indes galantes, Première entrée, Le turc généreux, Scène VI: Air pour les esclaves africains1:47Teodor Currentzis
17Dardanus, Prologue, Scène II: Premier tambourin pour les Peuples de différentes nations - Deuxième tambourin pour les Peuples de différentes nations2:16Teodor Currentzis
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Rameau - The Sound of Light
Teodor Currentzis Lyrics
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